Question about designing diferent versions of a project

[Anonymous]

I was told that ArchiCad has a tool that allows you to have different versions of a project for example I want to see what the house would look like with hip roof or a gable roof or a mansard roof. So far I have been using layer combinations but this creates some problems I just know their is a better and easier way to do this. Someone mentioned to me developer software adds on might have this capability. I tried to find it in the help file with no luck. Any help would be well appreciated.

[TomWaltz]

You can do it yourself by making Modules of each option, and using the Hotlink Manager to swap them out individually.

The add-on is called Option Manager. I do not know if it is available yet, or due out soon. I believe it is about $500.

[Anonymous]

Another approach is to save multiple drafts of a team work project, each for a different alternate. A single layout book can be redirected to each draft to publish alternate sets of drawings (or separate subsets within the book can be set up).

Once one alternate is chosen the changes can then be sent to the shared file. One drawback is that any mix and match between alternates will have to be done with copy/paste. Since they are copies of the same draft, send and receive will overwrite each other.

For really extensive alternates, copies of the PLN file can be used. These can be linked to a common site/base plan file to minimize duplication and error.

[Aussie John]

depending on the complexity it is often easier to have two extra layers - ie option 1 and option 2 with corresponding vews sets

[Vitruvius]

I've been using modules of the alternatives as you can dump them into layers called Option 1, Option 2, etc. whilst retaining all their integral layers for when a preferred option is selected.

It's not the most elegant solution but does seem to work fairly well.

Cheers